THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, COCHIN vs. M/S.INDIA SEA FOODS, THOPPUMPADY, COCHIN

JUDGMENT Ramachandran Nair, J.

We have heard Senior counsel Sri.P.K.R.Menon appearing for the appellant and Adv. Sri.Anil D. Nair appearing for the respondent. The question raised in the appeal filed by the Revenue is whether the Income Tax Officer can give up a rectification proceedings initiated under Section 154 and then proceed to make an income escaping assessment under Section 147 of the Income Tax Act for the same assessment year. The return filed was processed under Section 143(1) and in the intimation sent, deduction claimed on export profit under Section 80HHC was allowed in terms of the claim. However, the Assessing Officer later noticed that excessive relief is granted while computing deduction under Section 80HHC in as much as while computing the eligible relief, deduction was not made of 90% of the view, if an assessment happens to be an under-assessment or a mistaken order, the course open to the Assessing Officer is either to rectify the assessment if it is a mistake falling under Section 154 of the Act or to make income escaping assessment under Section 147. Both these provisions are self-contained provisions wherein conditions for invoking the powers and the procedure to be followed and the time limit within which orders are to be passed are mentioned. In this case the Assessing Officer first felt that the excessive relief granted in the computation of relief under Section 80HHC is a mistake that could be rectified under Section 154 and following the mandatory requirement contained under Section 153(3) of the Act, notice was issued to the assessee. The assessee brought to the notice of the Assessing Officer that there is no apparent mistake in the proceedings issued and so much so, assessment cannot be rectified. The Assessing Officer apparently accepted the objection raised by the assessee and gave up the proceedings initiated under Section 154. But assessee was not informed that the proceedings initiated under Section 154 was dropped. However, after expiry of the period provided for rectification of assessment under Section 154, the Assessing Officer initiated proceedings under Section 147 for making income escaping assessment by issuing notice under Section 148 of the Act. Admittedly notice under Section 148 was issued within time and reassessment also was completed under Section 147 within the statutory period. The question to be considered is whether the initiation of proceedings under Section 154 and the dropping of the same without issuing an express order in that regard will affect the validity of re-assessment under Section 147. 3. On going through the decision of the Madras High Court, what we notice is apparently an income escaping assessment was first completed under Section 147 and during pendency of the appeal before the first appellate authority, the officer initiated rectification proceedings under Section 154. The Madras High Court held that when recourse open to the Assessing Officer to bring to tax escaped income is either by rectification or by way of income escaping assessment, it is for the officer to choose between one of the two and proceed to pass one order. We do not think there can be any controversy because for the very same purpose, the Assessing Officer cannot issue two proceedings, one under Section 154 and the other under Section 147. However, we are unable to uphold the principle of constructive res judicata made applicable by the High Court in income tax proceedings in respect of proceedings one after another initiated by the Assessing Officer successively. The fact that the Assessing Officer initiated rectification proceedings under Section 154 does not mean that he should stick to the same only and proceed to issue orders as proposed. The very purpose of issuing a notice to the assessee is to give him opportunity to raise objection against the proceeding which includes the assessee's right to question the maintainability of the rectification proceedings. If the assessee convinces the officer that rectification is not permissible, the Assessing Officer is absolutely free to give up the same and see whether there is any other recourse open to him to achieve the purpose i.e. to bring to tax escaped income. In this case even though the Assessing Officer did not issue any specific order dropping the proceeding initiated under Section 154 based on the objection filed by the assessee, the only inference possible after expiry of the time provided for completion of proceedings under Section 154 is that the Assessing Officer has given up the proposal. Further, when a notice is issued under Section 148 for making income escaping assessment, the Assessing Officer obviously made it clear that the proceedings under Section 154 is dropped and he proposes to proceed with reassessment under Section 147. In fact, even if the Assessing Officer had proceeded with the rectification proceedings under Section 154 which was not sustainable, it was open to the Commissioner of Income Tax to exercise his powers under Section 263, set aside the order issued under Section 154 and direct the Assessing Officer to consider income escaping assessment under Section 147 which the Assessing Officer is free to initiate. In this case the Assessing Officer himself realised the mistake of initiating rectification proceedings and when he noticed that the correct recourse open to him under the Act is to make an income escaping assessment, he is entirely free to do it and in our view, there was nothing wrong in the Assessing Officer giving up rectification proceedings, though initiated by him based on reply filed by the assessee and then initiating an income escaping assessment by issuing notice under Section 148 within the statutory period. We, therefore, allow the appeal by vacating the orders of the Tribunal and that of the first appellate authority. Since there is no challenge on merits of the case i.e. with regard to withdrawal of excessive relief granted under Section 80HHC, the reassessment completed under Section 147 will stand restored.

C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR Judge BHABANI PRASAD RAY Judge pms